


Sympathy

by BlackDiamond1215



Category: Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Genre: F/M, Nolanverse, Other, TDKR
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-02-26
Updated: 2016-01-17
Packaged: 2018-01-13 20:01:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 21,568
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1239061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackDiamond1215/pseuds/BlackDiamond1215
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is a story of a young woman named Lily Moss who is kidnapped by Bane and his men. She gets more than she bargained for.</p><p> Disclaimer: I do not own this the character nor do I own anything affiliated with The Dark Knight Rises. I am a fan of the TDKR series. I love Tom Hardy's portrayal of Bane. This story contains cursing, violence and broken necks.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Sympathy-Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lily travels overseas with Bane and his men. Bruce Wayne is carried along. Lily lowers her guard just a little bit.

She presses her hands against the rough skin across the jaw line of Bane's ruined face. A pair of serious dark brown eyes softens as they look into her eyes. It feels strange being so close and not feel afraid. Over the scaled skin of his mouth, her fingers trail. The skin infected badly so much that the skin is a deep purple almost black hue. The tip of Bane's nose is nearly as dark but, the infection was not as severe. He winces as she touches him shutting both eyes for a moment. One lone tear slides down his cheek. The pain is more than he could bear.

She removes her hands from his face only to get the mask that rests on the floor. This is the first time that Bane allowed anyone to see him without his mask. Not even his men are privy to the sight. It is the only way that Lily would agree to stay underground. Trust is the one thing that he could not force. No matter how hard he tries her fear seems to grow. It infuriates him more than anything. The thought of snapping her neck crossed his mind for a moment but, he ignored it. The sight of yet another dead body found anywhere in Gotham will bring more trouble than Bane needs at this time. As it was ten bodies lie in the morgue with broken necks.

Bane opens his eyes as even more tears slip down his cheeks. He clenches his teeth together as the sound of his breathing grows more labored. Lily lifts up the mask and places it over his head. The idea of helping her secure it crosses his mind but, the pain grows more intense… Once the mask is in place the pain quickly disappears as the Venom invades his system. She sits in silence as the veil is once again lowered. All emotion drains from his face.

It is not something that Lily can comprehend . Somewhere within him that vulnerability still exists. Deep emotions are forever present and certainly not something that a person could just lock away. But, then there is nothing about Bane that she understands. They stare at one another for a moment before either one speaks. She wonders what he is thinking about. From all that has taken place in this underground lair, there is nothing that he is not capable of. The wheels with in his head turn rapidly. All that it seems to take is one wrong word or one false move. Life does not mean much to him and that is what makes Lily's heart race.

"You are safe," he says to her, "if I wanted you dead, I would have done so." His words are sound so empty that they mean absolutely nothing to her. Bane stands up walks away from the bed carefully. He picks up his clothing off the floor and begins to dress himself. Every inch of his body is pure muscle. Lily does not stare long enough to glimpse his nudity. She fears that it will unearth something dark from within him. The first time that he looked into her eyes it was there but, he tucked it away. That did not mean that the feeling outright disappeared.

Chapter 1

Lily Moss did not come to him willingly. It is one of those wrong places at the wrong time situations. She steps foot into the hallway walking fast. The hallway lit up by bright white florescent lights was empty. Carpeting underfoot smelled of cleaning solvents. A delivery of office supplies would be arriving momentarily. Boxes containing large quantities of white paper, black pens and printer ink would be piled almost to the ceiling. Deliveries happened more times than that she could count. At any given day a man would be walking the halls decked out in a uniform of some sort. He would either be pushing or pulling a cart full of boxes from a supply company whose name was unknown to her.

She heads up the hallway expecting to see piles of boxes sitting by the elevators but, this time that is not the case. Nearly a dozen armed men gather around one lone person who towers above them all. On his face, he wears sort of facial mask strapped over his face. It resembles a helmet that obscures his face almost entirely. All that she sees are portions of the man's slightly tan bald head. Apparently, Lily is catching the tail end of a conversation about taking over the building. Each floor completely guarded. This particular floor is the only one that has yet surveyed.

The masked man speaks not only laying out his plan but, making the hairs on Lily's neck stand up. His voice does not sound real. There is a voice box in the mask that alters Bane's voice so much so that it does not sound real. However, the way that he assembles each word and phrase is remarkable. His diction is perfect almost to a T. There is eloquence to the way that everything that he says. Either way, something about him is not right.

These men are not paying any attention to her at all. She could be invisible and none would be the wiser. Lily decides to flee in the direction that she came from. This is not the smartest plan but, then again it is the best one at the moment. She can make it back up the hall carefully if she would just not draw attention to herself. Slowly, she walks backward with one foot behind the other. The masked man is pointing to one man who is in front of him gesturing about something. Just a few more steps until Lily will be home free. She pivots around a little too soon colliding into a man who was a mere four inches taller. The impact throws her slightly off-balance. All that it takes is a push which sends her falling backwards. It feels like everything happens in slow motion. Before, she stop herself, her behind hits linoleum floor hard.

The man who stands before her has a smirk upon his hard tan face. It makes him look a lot younger than he is. Slight pain gathers at the small of her back. It makes a few tears fall on her cheeks. She wipes them away with the back of her hand cautiously attempting to stand. Once Lily is back on her feet, she brushes the dirt off her black dress. It is the one that she just purchased for work the day before. She cuts her eye at the smirking man. His facial expression deepens as he vainly turns his gaze towards the collective of men.

Lily wonders what is so funny directing her attention to what is behind her. She notices that all eyes are on her now particularly the masked man. Two men step out of his way as he emerges from the crowd. He walks over taking long graceful strides. The sounds of his boots against the floor are like rocks falling down from a mountain. His eyes turn to slits staring straight at her. Lily stands with both feet apart holding up both fists. She does not divert her eyes one inch. What little courage that she possesses is present at the moment. She swallows pulling up both fists toward her chest.

He approaches quickly with no intention of stopping. The closer he comes, the more that Lily realizes she is not the target. The pounding of her beating hear fills her ears with sound nearly deafening her. She gracefully slides to the right out-of-the-way leaning with her back against a nearby wall. This space nestled between a stainless steel water fountain and a janitor's closet door. Both of her hands press against the wall. Lily's eyes are wide as everything plays out in front of her.

The smirking man's smile disappears as the masked man stops in front of him. All of the color drains from his face. Before, he can plead his case a hand takes hold of his thin neck. It begins to squeeze causing the man to gag. Lily shuts her eyes and turns away. She does not want to see what is about to happen. A loud crunching sound like sitting on a bag of potato chips is heard. A loud thump follows. He is dead.

A slight hissing sound draws her attention forward. The masked man stands facing her. He holds the straps of the vest with both hands of what looks like an armor-plated vest hidden under a heavy beige coat. Lily looks beyond him to see two men walk towards the dead body on the floor. Together, they crouch down and pick up the body. Then in silence these men continue walking up the hallway. She hears their heavy foot steps moving up the hallway in the same direction that Lily came from.

"Where were you going in such a hurry," he asks her. The sound of his voice startles her. It does not seem real to have a cacophony of voices in the place of one. "I-I am on my way to the fourth floor," she replies looking up at him, "I have to pick up some papers for my boss." He cocks his head to the side. Her answer amuses him in some way because his eyes crinkle at the corners as though the man is smiling. There is no way of telling due to the mask over his face. It makes him look scary like something out of a science fiction movie.

Lily assumes that this tube helps the man breathe by the sound of his heavy hissing breaths. The mask appears very complicated as if someone in a lab took their time to create something that would fit this monster. One lone strap connects from the base of his skill over the top of his head. It hides his nose coming to rest on top of an octagon shaped voice box of some sort. It conceals the man's mouth which under something that looks like a speaker. There are eight tubes which include four at the top and bottom. A chin strap that is stretches from the box cover his ears, jaw and most of his cheek. The straps connect into the base of the man's skull along with a couple of tubes.

"What is your name?" The sound of his voice was calm.

"My name is Lillian. Lilian Moss."

He repeats her name several times before settling on Lily. The way that he pronounced Lily made her feel delicate like porcelain. She is a flower that this man could crush with one single blow.

One man comes running through the small gathering straight towards him. "Bane," the man replied stopping abruptly, "we have to vacate the building. The lookout says that there are police cars approaching fast." _He_ did not answer him at first. Lily assumed that he was thinking. The man does not attempt to repeat himself. She assumes that he must know better. Bane turns to the crowd that was awaiting his signal and told them to move out. Most of the men disperse in opposite directions. Only three remain to await further instructions. One of which includes the man who someone calls Mika.

There is no way that he is going to leave her as a witness. His eyes fixated upon hers as a look of pity washes over him. Lily is not the least convinced but, she does not make it known. "Is everything in place, Noah," Bane asks. "Yes sir," replies a young African-American man with skin the color of mahogany. Noah wears a blue scarf around his neck. "I made sure that the crew disconnected everything before we gathered up here."

"Lily," he replies, "you are going to come with me now." Bane takes a step backwards as she lifts herself off the wall. All of a sudden all guns turn directly upon her as she approaches him. If there was a chance to run, Lily obviously missed it again. Once she stands at his side, he grabs hold of hand into his gripping it tightly. Without another word, the five of them start to walk up the hall. Why is the building so silent? Either there was a silent evacuation or word went around for the employees to stay inside of their offices. Someone definitely forgot to send that memo to her office.

They reach an emergency door at the end of the hall. The third man whose hair is as dark as Lily's walks up to quickly open the door and hold it. Maybe the alarm would go off and she would be able to escape. It occurred to her as the door opened that when the man said they disconnected everything, he literally disconnected everything. The patient man enters the stairwell first descending the stairs carefully. Bane pulled Lily through the door and down the steps behind him. His pace is faster than her own. There was no point in fall down the steps so she stared down at her feet.

The heavy foot steps behind her obviously belong to Noah, man in the blue scarf who covers them from behind. She is down another flight before the door shuts and the sound of rapid foot steps are approaching. Lily says a silent prayer to herself for strength. She has no clue where exactly Bane is taking her. The idea is not to let the kidnappers take you to the second place. However, no one prepared her for someone whose temper is far more volatile than anyone she has ever met. Not to mention that it seems like it does not take much to piss him off.

There is a rumor circulating about kids turning up dead outside of the sewer system. She wondered what happened to them. The media had no explanation nor did the police. More importantly, all the kids had their necks broken. She wonders if Bane had anything to do with that. Those kids were mostly boys who disappeared after the system could not find a place for them to live. The age of expulsion in Gotham's Department of Children and Family Services was 17. All of the group homes overcrowded with children. When a child reaches that age the only alternative is to go underground literally.

Bruce Wayne was the only person in the city that could help out but, he had become a recluse. Nearly seven years have passed since the last time he walked in public. Not even Batman was around anymore. Some say that he murdered Harvey Dent in a fit of jealousy. Even Commissioner Gordon vouched for the story. Lily did not believe that one bit regardless of what the media said. The joker was the mad man not Batman. He set those fires to prove a point. It was a shame that a woman named Rachel died that night as well.

Everything happens so fast after they reach the last stair case. They run into an open van. Lily sits in the front with Bane and the driver. Once everyone is inside and all doors shut the long journey begins. She sits on Bane's lap sideways with her back to the passenger side window. All that she is able to do is stare out the windshield as the van races out of the parking garage. She does not move as the van turns around every bend. He has his arms secured around her to keep her very still.

She is not wearing a coat so the cold air is ripping through her cotton dress and stockings. All of her stuff is back at the building including her purse and cell phone. They are rushing to take her somewhere downtown. Lily does not even think to ask. where. The driver reduces his speed as they meet the traffic. People are on the streets walking up and down. No one pays attention to the cars as they gab on cellular phones which look plastered to their faces. A thin woman carries a large black leather bag on her shoulder teetering on high heels.

Lily feels a hand ran up her forearm only to stop at rest rubbing the fabric absently with his thumb. At some point, they will be alone. The muscles in her stomach clench at the thought. Somewhere, her mother Amanda sits in the kitchen awaiting her arrival. Dinner is cooking on the stove. It is Lily's favorite meatloaf. Little does Amanda know that tonight will be the first night that she eats at the kitchen table alone? The police are climbing the front steps to give her the news. Her only child is gone and not one witness knows where the assailant took her. Every camera in the building malfunctioned. Some one will say that it was some type of computer glitch overpowered the system. Every computer in the building is completely fried.

Amanda Moss stares in silence as the police men speak. Suddenly, the ground rises up to meet her face.

Out of the darkness, Lily emerges surrounded by Bane and his men. She walks forward across the floor right on a platform. Loud sounds drew her attention up. There are four level leading up to a very high ceiling. In the distance, a waterfall flows down into a pit of rushing water. Bane leads Lily up a flight of steps across one platform where some men are sitting around in the darkness. They wait for orders. Suddenly, they all stand up in place their eyes following him.

Men are hard at work above jack hammering on the second platform. They are attempting to break through metal pillars and sawing through various items. Some glance her way for a second before they resume their work. Women obviously are not allowed in this place. She shudders at the thought of being the only woman underground with these men. Many have not seen the light of day in months let alone a member of the fairer sex.

They continue walking until out of the blue, he stops. Four men are standing around talking about something .Lily does not recognize the words. They speak fast in a language that sounds like an older dialect. She thinks that it could be eastern European of some sort. "What is the status," Bane replies calmly breaking the conversation.

"There is more work to be done," a man with large eyes replies. He eyes Lily with a suspicious look. She is not paying him any attention. Numerous men stand around watching in silence.

Bane stares at the man until he has his attention. "What is taking so long," he calmly asks him. A tiny twinge of impatience is present in his tone as well. The large eyed man replies, "It is impossible to…" A small pin could drop and the sound of its impact would echo everywhere. All eyes are upon him and his feeble attempt at an explanation.

Bane let go of Lily's hand ushering her slightly to the side. Noah grasps her arm carefully guiding her away from _him_. In fact, most of the men have taken a step back far enough to give _him_ space. "My directions were clear," he replied shrugging out of his coat. It drops down upon the floor. A boy about fifteen years old emerges and picks it up. The kid disappears into the shadows even faster "Why is it not done," he replied cracking his knuckles. It was a lot more painful to hear than to do. Lily did not look away.

"Like the saying goes," he replied, "if you want something done…." Lily has his attention for a moment. There was something dark present within his eyes. She bites her bottom lip fearful that this man will die in front of her as well. "You have to do it yourself," he continued, "Lily." This was a signal of something but, Lily could not figure out what. Bane laughs only to face the man again. He walks forward with the most erect posture that she has ever seen. There was no way that this guy's eyes could grow any wider but, they did.

Bane lifted up his hands and placed them on both sides of the guy's face. He turns the man's head to an awkward angle and his neck snaps. The body slams against the floor like a rag doll. Two of the men rushed forward to pull away the body. Lily stared at the floor in disbelief. The crowd disappears without a word leaving the four men who emerged from the van with Bane and Lily. She could feel the muscles in her stomach clenching.

"Barsad," Bane calls out. A man with brown hair and dark tanned skin steps forward on his left side. Lily recognizes him as the driver of the van. He did not say anything during the entire ride. Nor did he even look her way. "Make sure that," he replies, "the men finish their work soon." The tone of his voice is direct. Whatever it is that they are working on is important. So much so that it cost a man his life. "I will," Barsad replies. He glances over towards Lily a second time with a slight smirk on his face.

Apparently, there is something that Lily is unaware of. As Barsad walks away, something in the air changes drastically. It feels as though everything around her has stopped. She looks around and does not see a window in sight. There is no clock or anything to tell her what time it is. With everything that has happened, she never thought about time. All of a sudden, it has become far more important than anything else.

Lily is awake sitting in the corner of a room filled with furniture, books and various articles of clothing. Not one spec of dirt or dust is on the floor. One lone light bulb in the center of the ceiling fills the room with artificial light .To her left there is a full-sized bed set up in an adjacent corner. It's covered by a dark grey comforter which is neatly pulled up over black sheets. The bed's head-board stands about five feet high and made of mahogany. Long black drapes hang down to the floor over a window which is above the foot of the bed. What little light shining outside seen through a slight an outline. A desk set up with a pile of books upon it though Lily's unable to see the titles because of the leather chair that blocked her sight.

Two book cases that nearly touch the ceiling resemble something out of an IKEA catalogue assembled and set up next to the desks. Each book-case held five shelves and hundreds of hard cover books. A few of the Title included Huckleberry Finn, Moby Dick, Uncle Tom's Cabin and The Hunger Games. Somewhere within those rows of books exists at least one Twilight Saga Book. Lily made it her mission to look for it at some point. The image of Bane sitting in the desk chair flipping through New Moon wiping tears from his dark eyes makes her laugh slightly to herself.

There are three worn out army green bags lay on the floor in front of the bookcases next to a wall. One of the bags which stand up tall leans with the draw string opened. A couple of black shirts are neatly folded resting on top of this bag. One pair of sandy brown boots is on the floor next to it. Lily's eyes wander around looking at each wall. Not one picture frame or even a painting hangs upon them. There are no posters of any kind either.

A man with a very deep tan and dark blond hair known as Gael is at door staring directly at Lily with a furrow in his thick brows. Religiously, he holds on to a handgun with the safety on. Every moment that she makes observed in silence. At first, the man's attention does not bother her but, after a while she becomes uncomfortable. Lily shuts her brown eyes for a moment trying to imagine that she is anywhere else. Cool air blows from the vent above her head fill up the room slowly. The sound relaxes her for the moment like the wind blowing on a spring day.

The man at the door offered her food but, she refused. There was no telling what would be in it. Every so often the door would open and a different man would walk in. They would whisper to one another looking directly at Lily. She stares right back at them unafraid. A few hours earlier, he had his men take her to his bedroom. This occurs without a word or a once of hesitation.

Lily stretches out her legs staring at a scuff mark on the right toe. Her boots were brand spanking new. Great.

The door knob turns drawing her attention to the door. It swings open nearly slamming against the wall outside in the hallway. Assuming it is yet another visitor for the guy at the door, Lily continues staring at the scuff mark. A set of heavy foot steps enter the room crossing it. She glances up to see Bane walking over to the desk and setting something metal down on it. He turns his head to the right. "Leave." His tone is sharp and caustic. Suddenly, the man gets up off the chair and nearly runs out of the door. The door shuts slowly with a soft creak and a click of a lock.

A subtle hissing sound draws Lily's vision back over towards Bane who is now facing her. He stands with his feet apart and both arms crossed over his chest. "My men tell me that you have refused many offers of food. Why?"

"I am not hungry," Lily replies bending both needs.

"Four hours sitting in this room and you are not hungry," Bane replies slightly raising his brows. She swears under that mask there is a smile on his face.

"No."

"And you have chosen to sit on the floor and not on the bed or in a chair," he says with a slight laugh shaking his head.

Lily does not say a word. Choosing words is a lot harder than she thought it would be.

"You **are** brave."

He turns to make his way over to the door to turn the lock. "In fact Lily, you are many things. You are 27 years old, college educated and the youngest daughter of Gotham's most prominent lawyers." Somewhere down in this lair a man sat down researching every facet of her life. Deep within her stomach there is a slight clinch. Her father is out-of-town now but, where he is that does not change the fact he is in danger. The image of Bane's men closing in on her father's hotel room makes Lily hug her knees tighter. More than likely, there is some one work in his firm on the inside already.

"Your father is the only lawyer," Bane replies leaning against the door, "in the city that through The Dent Act convicted some of Gotham's most vile criminals." She swallowed and broke eye contact with him to stare down at the fabric of her black dress. For the past few months, her father's face plastered on the cover of news papers and political magazines. Her family had an interview with one of Gotham's top News channels GNN (Gotham News Network). A female reporter who was nearly ten years older than Lily showed up at their home. She asked so many questions that they made her head spin. Everyone in the family answered each question beautifully.

Her older sister Jackie Kincaid is pregnant with a baby boy on the way. The wife of a stockbroker and a socialite herself, she volunteers down at the local soup kitchens and food pantries. Lily's brother Andrew Moss is serving his second tour overseas as a Sergeant in the Marine Corps. Even her mother Amanda is a chair person on Gotham's board of education. The only person in the family whose life was not that glamorous was Lily's. She did not speak at all until the moment when the reporter asked her about life as the youngest daughter of Jordan Moss. Lily tailored her answer to sound as perfect as possible.

"Things happen for a reason, Lily. You of all people should know this fact. Why else would you get a place by yourself at the one company whose boss is not intelligent enough to put two and two together?" It was her own choice not to allow her family name to open doors for her. She wanted to do it all for she no matter how hard it was to do so. True, her boss is not the brightest bulb in the house but, he treated her well. Some of her coworkers would whisper about the Moss family and she would chime in from time to time. Not one person put two and two together considering her appearance and laid back attitude.

"What do you want from me," she asked him. The question gave Bane pause. One single solitary memory of a brunette with innocent deep dark brown eyes ripples through his sub conscious. _The woman is young with a sweet smile and an infectious laugh. Her chestnut-brown hair lifted off the shoulders as the wind blew past her. Smooth skin that was a shade or two darker due to a slight tan that she had acquired through years of living under the desert sun. She called out his name with her arms wide open. He wants to run over and pick her up. But, then the woman turns away walking in an opposite direction. No matter how many times he calls her name she does not turn back._

_The small sound of laughter is heard in the distance. One voice speaks of a plan but, the words do not reach his ears. That one voice morphs into two, three, six then ten voices. Suddenly, the noise deafened him. He covers his ears with both hands but, the sound grows louder. There is no one around him now. He is in darkness but, there are people present nearby laughing. No matter how much Bane tells them to stop they do not. It is not until he is on his hands and knees screaming that it all goes quiet._

The memory fades away like smoke after an extinguished fire. Bane comes back to reality facing Lily whose deep brown eyes are wide in fear. He pushes himself off the door unwrapping his standing up straighter. Darkness fills his system once against grasping on more steadily than the Venom running through his veins. "You are a guest here," he replies, "but, if you chose to continue refusing my hospitality, I will not offer it **again**."

Bane is sitting down at his desk reading A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. It is one of the books that pile on his desk with his back turned. Lily watches him for nearly an hour before her eyes grow heavy. She curls up in a ball lying on her left side with one of his pillows nestled under her head. He covered her up with a brown blanket that she pulled up to her neck. The room is silent except for the occasional page turn and his breathing. He is nearly half way through the book and it has his full attention for the moment. It is more interesting that he thought that it would be. The words are not that hard to comprehend as he assumed they would be.

A knock at door jolts him out his literary haven for the moment. He glances up at the clock above his head with a deep furrow in his brow. "Enter," he calls out placing the book face down on the desk. Tentatively two men enter the room followed by a third. The last man known as Jacob spies Lily sleeping in the corner. Her breathing is very soft but, it draws his attention almost immediately. His comrades are staring straight at the back of Bane's chair in silence.

He leans his elbows against the desk staring down at the spine of the book. "Bane," replies one of the men (known as Esau), "the triggers are complete. I tested them many times. One in particular keeps malfunctioning. It is the one that is…" The chair swivels around ninety degrees slowly. Esau's words are stagnant within his throat. A red tint runs over his golden brown skin as he attempts to calm himself. Bane sits slouched down slightly in the chair facing them. Both of his large hands folded together resting against the tight muscles of his flat stomach. His vest lies on top of the bags nearby.

"Supposed to what?" Bane asks.

The second man whose is known as Joshua replies, "...work but, Jacob…"

"Is far too busy staring at Lily to even grasp the dire need of this conversation?" Jacob still does not hear a word that Bane has said. He is daydreaming while staring at Lily with a glazed look in his dark grey eyes. Something sinister crosses his minds as Lily shifts herself slight trying to find a comfortable spot on the floor. His lips move but, nothing comes out. At the moment, he is lost his own little world.

Jacob does not hear the creak of the desk chair as Bane rises up. He is unable to recognize the heavy foot steps that are heading his way. Nor does he even see that his comrades have moved apart and turned around. The hissing sound that draws near ignored as he climbs deeper into the daydream. As hand presses against the left side of his face, he turns hoping to look into her eyes. A look of sheer bliss is upon his weathered tan face. Carefully, his head guided to the left side as he awaits the press of her soft pink lips against his skin. Instead Jacob hears a loud crack and everything goes dark forever.

The body falls down hard like a bag of rocks upon the concrete floor. Bane turns around to look down at both men directly into their eyes. "Do not waste my time again," he replies, "fix it." The men stand looking at him for a minute in silence. Joshua breaks eye contact first to walk over to Jacob's body and grab hold of both arms. Esau follows suits lifting up the dead man's legs. They drag him towards the door which has been left ajar.

Bane stands in silence flexing his hand right hand. His attention drawn to the corner where Lily sleeps. She stretches out across the floor with her thick dark hair hangs over her smooth face. Slowly, he creeps over to her making sure not to disturb her. Something within him awakens opening one eye after the other and stretching. No one else will know if he just lets down the veil and submits to the desires of this nameless faceless emotion. It has been dormant for so long that the feeling is almost foreign to him.

There are occasions when he awakens in a cold sweat with every fiber of his being on fire. Every breath labored almost to the point of hyperventilation. During the tossing and turning,his dreams always lead to a release. One that leaves his sheets stained and skin moist with it. It is hard to focus on anything else around him. Shame is all that Bane feels as he peels himself out of bed in search of his clothing in the dark.

_She is always present in the dream mocking and humiliating him. Her naked form is just a reminder of what he will never partake of. Try as he might this woman will never let him touch her. Even as he rises out of bed in the dream, she disappears into the shadows._

_Many years have passed yet the feelings are very much alive. Upon first sight of her the predicament was born. All that he could do is sit and wait. A bit of hope sprang forth. There were other men who came from all over to become apart of The League of Shadows. But, it was clear that he was the most powerful and most important. Ra's al Ghul did not want just any man to stand by his side. He chose Bane out of respect for his loyalty and strength. However, he made a terrible mistake falling for her. She was beautiful and intelligent. Her strength matched his in every way._

_Bane banishes the thought scooping up Lily off the cold floor. In an effort to not wake her, he rises up carefully. The floor is in no way comfortable to for her but; it was where she chose to sleep. He lays her on his bed. She is light, weighing no more than 150 pounds. For the moment all is calm and still. Her face appears more youthful at rest as though ten years have magically disappeared. So much work to complete but, it can wait. She shifts her head over to the left side leaning it against his chest unconsciously. The beating of his heart increases as for the moment the darkness seems to dissipate._

_He exits the room making sure to lock it behind him. Trust is something earned and there are only few in his collective that are worthy of such a respect. One man in the hallway stares straight leaning against the wall across from his bedroom door with rifle in hand. Bane gave the order to protect Lily at all costs. Traveling up the lengthy hallway, Bane passes nearly seven men in place. Not one looks in his direction. All that he can hear is the sound of his own breathing coupled with the machinery echoing in the distance._

" _That is not a problem," says one man who walks past the hallway as Bane emerges. "I understand. Yes, but…" The conversation ends as he falls into place standing at attention as the mercenary walks past. His eyes are dark and menacing at the moment but, seemed focused upon something else. Bane is tall but, every step is light. It would not take much for him to recoil and attack. The mask concealed something vile which no one of the men ever wanted to see. One soldier made the mistake of mentioning it and lost his life. A gun shot to the head and was thereby dumped into the water below._

_This young man is new yet, he mastered the art of silence and obedience early. A young woman named Lily is resting within the room nearby. No one is to engage with her in any way except to ask if she is hungry or give her whatever she needs. Questions float around about her presence. Some say that she is only pleasure others torture. There are some who believe that Bane has an ulterior motive. No one is brave enough to voice these concerns for fear that Barsad or some other minions will hear. Even those who share the same pale white skin are snakes. Rather than make waves this kid stays on task._

_Bane feels the eyes on his back as he walks through the hallway towards the outer platform. At the moment, that is the least of his concern. He takes a seat at his work bench unraveling a tangle of wire. It is a tedious job but, one should not have to explain to the others how to do this. Time after time, it unravels only to tangle again under the untrained hands of some low rate imbecile who could not follow directions. Four men gather around him armed with high-powered rifles. They are silent but, present._

_Heavy foot steps are approaching from behind dragging something heavy. He does not turn around at first assuming that it is nothing slouching over to further untangle the wire. A minute passes as the object upon the ground. Unless he is within the confines of his bedroom, Bane will have no peace. He turns slightly and out of the corner of his eye, he sees two men standing over the body of another. "What are you doing here?" he asks rising up off the bench._

_Lily awakens slowly lifting herself off her back. She lets the blanket fall off of her turning to allow both legs to dangle off the side of Bane's bed. In the middle of the floor is a shopping bag filled with clothing. The idea of a Bane walking around in a department store searching through racks makes her laugh. Then she realizes that to buy anything someone had to know her size. Lily shudders at the thought of him touching her at all. The image makes her stomach clinch._

_She lets her bare feet touch the floor as curiosity takes over. The bag nearly over flows with folded clothing all variations of charcoal. Lily rifles through each any every article of clothing settling upon a pair of black jeans and a long-sleeved gray shirt. She undresses quickly glancing at the door fearful that someone may walk in. The jeans fit perfectly as does the shirt. Her eyes rove around the room looking for some sort of camera hidden but, it occurs to her that if this was his main goal, it would not take much. No way in hell would she fight him. He was much stronger that her._

_The idea of her mother burying her was not something that she wanted to think of. Death was no something that Amanda took very well. Right now, she was completely out of her mind. Moss's from all over gather at her house praying for Lily's safe return. Her father was finally home trying to bury his sorrows alone in his study. Blaming himself for all that occurred in his absence. Little did he know that this was bound to happen in some way shape or form. It was the curse of being wealthy in Gotham._

_The door opened and she took a step away from the clothing to lean against the door. One of Bane's men walked in that she did not recognize. He was as tall as she was with dark brown eyes. There was a scar above his right cheek. Numerous bags built under his eyes creating small shadows on his sallow complexion. His dirty blond hair cut close to his head. "Bane," he replies, "needs to see you." Lily slips her feet back into her boots and follows this man out the door._

_To be continued..._

_Comments are welcome. This is my first page of fan fiction._


	2. Sympathy 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bane knows things that no one else knows.

Sympathy Chapter 2

 

Lily sits at the head of a table eating alone. She watches two men walking back and forth to refill her glass of water and place various dishes in front of her. Both men have green eyes and completely shaved heads. Lily can tell them both apart because one man is clean-shaven and his brother has a five o'clock shadow. The door opens periodically and in walks Benjamin with his scarred face. He gathers together with the men whispering to one another in a different language. She swallows a small bite of chicken and tries her best to understand what they are talking about. However, she is completely unfamiliar with the words.

Lily looses track of the time focusing on the array of food on the table in front of her. There is chicken, steak, mashed potatoes, Mac and cheese, all types of green vegetables and it all smells fantastic. The clean-shaven man replies, "Bane will be here momentarily." She nods her head swallowing a bit of the steak. At home, her mother chastises her about manners. _Make sure that you eat with your mouth closed and do not scarf down your food, Lillian. Keep your elbows off the table and do not talk with your mouth full._ All of a sudden, her appetite disappears. She picks up the napkin nearby and gently wipes her face out of habit

She knows that her mother is beyond worried sick about her. Right now, the police are rifling through all of her stuff assuming that they will find some sort of clue. Lily hopes to God that they do not find her journal or her box. The one thing that will give her mother a heart attack will most definitely be "the box." The police are probably dusting for prints at her job. Little do they know that Bane is careful? More than likely, he sent in a crew to "clean up".

Suddenly, the door opens and in walks Bane. The green-eyed twins stand in place against the wall to Lily's right. They make an effort not to make any form of eye contact with him. "Sorry," he replies, "to keep you waiting. I had some last-minute business to attend to." The door shuts carefully behind him. Bane makes his way over to the chair on the other side of the table and sits down. There is no place setting for him which does not surprise Lily. He can not possibly eat while wearing that mask.

"I hope that you enjoyed," he replied, "your meal, Lily. Matthew and Mark worked very hard to prepare this for you. It is all organic and made with no genetically modified ingredients. I made sure that they were aware of your dietary restrictions."

Lily nods her head glancing down at the plate. How do the twins knew the exact type of food that she eats? Apparently, for the past few months a few of Bane's men work at the organic market downtown. It is clear that the twins look awfully familiar suddenly.

Bane replies, "They will prepare anything that you want to eat at a moments notice. All that you have to do is ask." Lily stares across the table at him in silence. He is sitting up straight with both arms crossed over his massive chest. She finishes the rest of the water in her glass not taking her eyes off of his. "I want you to feel comfortable here," he replies, "Lily. Think of this as your home away from home."

If this is her, then she can leave whenever she wants to. No need for a guard as Lily can move freely through the underground compound. However, if she makes her opinion known than he will surely go ballistic. More than likely the table in front of them will be flipped over everything on to the floor.

"Tonight," he replies, "I will be stepping out for a few hours. Until then my men are at your service. You are safe with them." He leans over to rest his elbows upon the table. Lily sinks back into her chair. Mark approaches the table with the intent to remove her plate. He realizes after a minute that Bane has his eye on him and begins to carefully step away from the table. . "Let her finish," he replies.

Lily turns to Mark and says, "Just take it. I am not hungry anymore."

Mark hesitates fearing Bane's next move. "She told you to take her plate away." If Bane's mouth could be seen in full view , she swears that he is speaking between his clenched teeth. Mark carefully lifts up the plate and silverware. He pivots walking out of view.

"Guess what I read in today's paper," Bane replied, "There is an article with your face under it." Matthew emerges with the front section of the paper placing it on the table in front of her. The headline reads where is Lily Moss? A picture of Lily hugging her mother printed on the front page. They took it a year ago at her father's 58th birthday party.

She lifts up the paper to read the first line only interrupted by Bane. "The article is full of the usual words and phrases," he explains, "Gotham's lost daughter. Lillian was born into a family of prestige and wealth." Tears gather in the corners of Lily's eyes.

One by one each tear slides down her cheek to come to rest on the paper. "You did not tell me," He replied, "that your middle name is Anne. What a lovely name" The article read that there is a reward for her return along with immunity for her captors.

"I do not need the money," he replies, "even though your family has more than enough to share. No, I have my benefactor."

The door opens a second time and in walks a man in his late fifties. He has grayish white hair and dressed like a college professor is light-colored beige khakis and a baby blue button down shirt. The man walks ten steps forward and comes to a stop. He glances around the room for a moment. When his eyes meet Bane's they widen. "Ah," Bane replies, "Lily this is an associate of mine Dr. Henry Pavel who is working very hard for me. He wanted to come down here to meet you." The man turned towards her in fear. Whatever he has seen apparently makes her experience pale in comparison.

"Say hello," Bane says, "Doctor." Out of fear the older man smiles slightly making sure not to upset Bane in any way. He says hello only to grow silent again. There is a hint of an eastern European accent in his voice. Lily smiles back wondering who this man is. More importantly, where did Bane find him but, does not dare ask. "Like you," Bane says, "he is another guest sleeping in one of the adjacent rooms next to mine."

"What is it that you need, Doctor Pavel?"

* * *

Bane returns a tad bit plan went on without a hitch. The Dark Knight appeared at the right time , acquired the tablet and was surrounded by most of Gotham's finest. However, he made his début more invigorated than earlier. His showmanship is only reminiscent of that Joker character from years past.

A boy emerges from the darkness to walk beside Bane. It is tough for the kid to stay in step with Bane but, he is somehow able to. Absently, he removes the leather jacket passing it to the boy along with the cumbersome red helmet.

The men are in high spirits now. Each one whispers to one another about phase two. Barsad is right by Bane's side brandishing a high power rifle with a smirk upon his face. At one time, he recalls being just a boy like the one who carries Bane's things. On the streets of Eastern Europe, Barsad stood rail thin peddling for food and money. It was Bane who took him in molding and shaping the young man. In some instances, Barsad served as a lover, bringing him to release on more than one occasion. Upon Lily's arrival, he kept his distance. This woman held a place that only he could supplement. Even so Bane needs him, of that he is aware.

The stairs are a bit more laborious to climb. Bane needs to rest for a few more hours. More importantly, he needs to see Lily. Once, he reaches the platform a number of men approach to give him an update. They speak to one after the other in full detail recounting the little that needs completion. Bane waves them away turning to enter a short narrow hallway. Men line up with their backs against the walls ready in place.

He imagines Lily sleeping in his bed curled up with her body hidden under a sheet and many comforters. Benjamin stands at the door and abruptly grabs hold of the knob turning quickly. The door opens with a creak startling Gael who jumps up and swiftly exit's the room. Bane walks in as though nothing happened. His steps tread lightly across the floor. The door shuts behind him but, he fails to notice.

Lily is asleep lying in his bed with the covers pulled up nearly to her neck. Bane stands over his desk unloading a hand gun. The half empty clip is hidden within a drawer. His work shirt unbuttoned and folded neatly into a square. It does not take long for him to unbuckle the vest, pulling it over his head, followed by the white crew neck worn under it. The vest is lain on top of the vest carefully. He kicks the boots off his feet with little effort and proceeds to unbuckle his pants, allowing them to fall to the floor. Bane takes the time to fold them as well placing them under the pile.

By this time, Lily is awake staring at him. "Did you sleep well," he asks, "I can imagine you did after such a large meal." She remains quiet slowly sitting up. Her arms wrap around her legs hugging them . "My men," he said, "seem to enjoy your presence. The amount of angst that permeated every corridor has dissipated. No man can truly exist without a woman. I learned this lesson. **The hard way**."

He turns toward her with a relaxed demeanor. "Your parents are very over protective of you," he says, "particularly your mother. No one is ever good enough for her little Lillian. Not even Richard Parks." Lily feels her heart flutter like the wings of a butterfly at the sound of _his_ name. The moment her mother saw him, her lips remained in a permanent line. Who the hell told him about Richard? "Most women," Bane continues, "your age have had their fair share of men but, not you…..Lily." She is aware of his naked body glimpsing the solid length of his thick, uncut cock. It is hard to not to notice but, Lily manages to keep eye contact.

"It is funny that you come from such a traditional household," he replies, "even if your sister's legs remained open to whomever, wherever." Lily feels the crimson hue creeping up to her face spreading like a rose blooming. "That's not true….I," she says as she tries to defend herself . Underneath, the mask Bane has a smile across his face. His eyes crinkle at the edges. "You are a delicate little flower," he replies with a slight laugh. There is nothing else for her to say.

"There is no need," he replies, "for embarrassment. I admire your patience and self-worth. Such traits are hard to find. No need to hide them like some sort of secret, Lily." He walks over to the bed and sits down at the edge. Lily pulls her legs to her chest and hugs them.

His posture slouched over at first staring down at the floor. She glimpses the scar that stretches from the nape of his neck down the length of his spine coming to rest above his tailbone. "Beautiful work," he replies, "the doctor did to save me. There was so much blood that it is a wonder I am not deceased."

"Modern medicine," he replied, "did not reach the depths of Arkham. I was so disoriented that I agreed to anything to take the pain away. What I was left with gave me a shield of some sort. The fact that I survived such a brutal attack made those same men who left me for dead, filled with fear. The doctor was the only person to see what had become of me. Word spread around that I resembled some sort of demon." Bane paused for a moment and sat up straighter.

"The men assumed that by destroying my face that they would cripple me in some way. Truthfully, that loss only made me more vengeful." Lily shuddered at the thought of what that statement meant. "I wore bandages only face until," he replied, "I left the pit."

"Why were you attacked," she replied. Bane turned to look at her with a sad look in his eyes. He could not bring himself to explain the truth. It tugged at the tiny strings within his heart. Lily struggles to understand this show of emotion, so much so that the shield she put up lowered slightly.

_A memory of a woman full with child being lowered slowly into the darkness burned in his mind. He did what he could to keep his distance but, never stopped watching. After, the woman gave birth, he recalls the soft sound of the baby crying echoed. The wolves gathering at all corners around her cell. They watch as the baby grew. Bane remembers thinking how smart it was for the child's mother to shave her daughter's one can tell that the child is female._

_One mistake of leaving the cell door unlocked is all it took for the beasts to break in. When they did, Bane jumped at the chance to grab the child. His act of selflessness sparked the fire of angst that only seemed to grow. The older the girl grew, the more aware the others became…._

To be continued.

 


	3. Sympathy 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bane gets a visit from an old friend.

Sympathy Chapter 3

He knew nothing about children. It was hard enough protecting himself yet, he allowed himself to take possession of an infant. There was very little food in Arkham but, he gave her most of what he had. Nights spent sleeping lightly grasping a makeshift shiv in his hand. Every so often one of the men would come a little too close to his cell. One tried to grab hold of the girl sticking his filthy hand in between the bar. Bane sliced his hand open two inches from his artery.

Every time that he went off to piss or shit, the child comes with him. She was far too curious for her own good so he would turn her away from him as he relieved himself. The last thing that he needed was to have to answer another question. He made sure to shave all of her hair off. Without it, she resembles a small boy. But, the day would come when her body would change. At that moment, the men would try their hardest to take possession of her. It was a thought that plagued Bane from the moment that he first held her in his arms….

Just as he is about to speak, there is a knock at the door. All of a sudden he is on his feet walking _. I told them I did not want any one to disturb. What part of that did they not fucking understand?_ Bane pauses less than ten feet away flexing his hand. The nerves tingle slightly like a foot that has fallen asleep _._ With both eyes shut, he rolls the muscles in his neck counterclockwise. A small dose of venom releases from the mask filling his veins so abruptly that his cock hardens. Although he is numb that one single sensation never ceases to surprise him. He turns to face the door composing him. The situation could go one of two ways but, then that would mean scaring Lily once again. Considering the options in his head Bane decides to hear the person out instead of snatching open the door and cracking his neck.

"Enter," he replies annoyed cracking his knuckles.

A woman walks in the room with a slight sway to her hips and a briefcase in hand. His breath hitches as he watches her clear pale blue eyes scan the room completely. The fragrant scent of roses slips into his nose drifting deeper and deeper filling him. It fills his body making him dizzy, breathless. Her chestnut-brown hair hangs to down over the lapel of a black suit jacket framing her innocent face that time has changed ever so slightly with age. She conceals her muscular form beneath a black tailored suit. The heels on her feet give the woman a couple more inches but, still Bane towers over her.

"I see you made this room your own," she replies, "It only took you _three_ months." Bane smiles slightly and with a laugh say, "Not many stores are willing to deliver underground. But, I have my ways." The woman turns her attention to him. "That you do, Bane," she says piercing him deep within with those eyes of hers. These were the very same eyes which twinkled as she spoke of her dreams or just before she fell asleep soundly in his arms.

"Who is your guest," the woman replies with a furrow in her brow. "Her name is Lily," he replies, "she and I were in the middle of a conversation before you arrived, Talia." The sound of her name makes his pulse quicken as sweat forms on his palms. She turns her attention back to Bane with a slight smile. "What sort of conversation," she says with a laugh, "requires you to remove your clothes, Bane?" Her eyes run up and down his body pausing for a moment at the sight of his extended member. He feels the blood rushing to his face only to bloom like a red flower spreading across his face.

"Clearly, "Talia replies looking into his eyes, "nothing has changed. You seem to always blush when I am near." Bane looks away trying to calm himself down. She laughs slightly deepening the dimples in her cheeks. The sounds bring forth a familiar shame that he buried deep within. Out of the corner of his eye, he watches her walking away from him. The click of her heels is all that he can hear for the moment.

"I guess," she says, "you are wondering why I am here?" Bane turns his head to the left watching her set the briefcase on his desk. "Your men," Talia replied, "dropped off the plans in front of my home. They have finished placing all the necessary charges at the stadium even though the building schematics were sub par." She paused to brush something off of her shoulder with her left hand. The flash of a silver bracelet caught his eye. "Did anyone see you," he asked, "entering the sewers?

"You know me better than that," Talia said flashing a look at him, "Now I must leave." She straightened her coat and proceeds towards the door. Then suddenly, she stopped. " _Her_ name is Lily, right." Bane nodded his head yes. "As in Lilian Moss?" The question floated, suspended in air for a moment before he answered her. "Yes."

"No wonder she looked so familiar," Talia replied, "you must tell me sometime how you were able to acquire _her_. Every police officer in Gotham is scouring the streets for this girl." She started to tie her waist band and continued, "If they only knew that she is right under the noses." Bane crossed his arms over his chest. "Her face is all over the news," she says, "and on every paper. You trained your men well. There is literally no trace of evidence anywhere in that building. Excellent work, Bane."

Talia then replied, "I will be in touch." She walks over to the door and with a slightly knock it opens. Out she walks leaving Bane staring in silence at the door. A moment passes as another dose of venom kicks in making him shut his eyes as it take an effect. The warmth in his cheeks begins to fade. "It is very hard," he replies, "to have just one single solitary moment alone down here." Bane turns to face her again with a calm look in his eyes. Lily is sitting on the side of the bed with her feet touching the floor. He laughs to himself dropping his arms. Then he begins to speak, "Now, where was I?"

"There are things," Bane replies coming to rest on his knees before her, "that you may never understand Lily. A shift in the structure of a society that up until now seemed so unbalanced. I will bring about the change." A look of confusion flashes across her face and it dawns on him that he must elaborate. "Your life is one of privilege," he states pressing his hands against her knees, "Born into a life of luxury and excess. You were fortunate enough to attend private school, dressed in designer clothing and consuming the finest food money can buy."

He reaches up taking hold of her hand locking his thick fingers into hers. His right hand is warm and slightly clammy but, Lily can only feel the leather sheath against her skin from his left. The clicking sound of the tubes interrupts the silence that passes between them. "It is no coincidence that you are here with me," he continued, "my men went to great lengths to find you. Your father did a fantastic job of shielding his sweet Lily from the vultures and the bottom feeders."

_Every move that she made was under surveillance even when Lily was away at college. She had to call her parents three times a day to make sure that everything was okay on her end. One night, it slipped her mind while hanging out with friends at a bar. Not only did her parents leave about a thousand voice mail messages on her cell but, two large men walked in to the venue and ushered her straight home. That was one of the most embarrassing situations that she had ever experienced in her life._

"But," Bane continues absently rubbing the pads of his thumbs against her hands, "he was not as meticulous as he thought in hiring his security detail." _Lily recalls being picked up by a man in a Lincoln town car. He showed her all of his identification before she entered his car, yet something was off about him. The way that he looked at her sometimes made her skin crawl. She thought about bringing this up with her parents but, they were under enough stress. There was no need to add anything else to their plate. Quite a few of the men around Bane that morning at her job looked awfully familiar. Even the man who she walked into reminded her one of the limo drivers who came to take her father to the airport a week ago._

"Why am I here, Bane," she replies.

"I want you to bear witness," he replied, "to my progeny being formed. My brain child in its infant stage unable to walk but, crawl. We are days away from something amazing that is about to occur."

"There a thousands of woman in Gotham that you could have taken," Lily asks, "I am sure that at least one politician has said something to unnerve you. My father was the poster child for the Dent Act but, what do I have to do with that." With every word, her voice waves as she watches his blue eyes darken. The clicking sound of the tubes grows louder as every breath Bane takes magnified. She waits for the moment when he will rise up and strike like a serpent dancing before its prey.

"What do you want with me," she asked watching his chest rise and fall. Bane runs his hand up the sides of her legs coming to rest at her forearms. _If this was her moment to die, the last thing that Lily Moss wanted to do was to leave the earth afraid._

She straightens up her posture not breaking eye contact. Her heart skips a beat as he stares in silence impatiently anticipating his next move. He lifts up his hand lightly grazing her cheek as he guides some of her hair behind her ear. For a moment, his hand lingers caressing the curve of her jaw line awakening a part of her that up until this moment was numb.

Bane then says, "I brought you here so that when I burn Gotham to the ground and the smoke rises…..we will be the only ones left."

Suddenly, the room feels a lot smaller than it was earlier. Her stomach clenches slightly like a rag being squeezed of every ounce of water. Bane stares awaiting her reaction yet all that he witnesses is the color draining from her face. "No harm will come to you," he replies, "sweet Lily. My men will do all the leg work. I'll emerge only when the time is right." Lily imagines everyone she loves burning like embers in a fire screaming as their bodies turning into dark ash.

"You haven't answered my question, Bane," she replies out of the blue. His hands rest on her shoulders mere inches from her throat. "I do not intend to," he replies with a matter of fact tone, "Lily." She feels his hands move down over her shoulders down to the small of her back. The gap between them grows smaller and smaller until it disappears. Swimming through the fear, unearths a warm sensation nestled deep down within her. It slowly emerges as the victor igniting every part of her body like the wick of a candle. The soft fabric of her satin panties clings to her moistened lips like a second skin.

She trembles as goose bumps surface all over her skin. Bane rests his head against her left shoulder taking in her scent. The sound of her heartbeat is all that he can hear. Talia's presence brought out another side of him that left Lily confused. Who is she? Again the wall fell but, this time pieces crashed to the ground. What ever happened between left an impression so deep that it chinked the armor over his heart leaving him open and bleeding?

For some reason, the woman appears threatened by Lily's presence. She must have been his lover at some point. Either way this was yet another question that _she_ did not want to ask. But, Talia looks so familiar that it seems to bother Lily. But, she chooses to ignore this thought opting to focus on Bane whose penis rests against her inner thigh pressing into the skin. She wraps her arms tentatively around his back. His skin is so warm even though the temperature in the room is a little chilly.

"Relax," he says, "I won't hurt you."

Bane tosses and turns in the darkness beneath the bed sheets. Sleep is something that he lacks yet its hard to get into a comfortable position. The last thing that he needs is another restless night. Lily sleeps to his left lying with her back towards him. Once again, she curls herself into a ball with her knees pressing against the wall. Even though, she takes up very little space in the bed, it is hard for him to relax. His mind continues to turn like a wheel refusing to settle down even one bit.

He stares up at the ceiling for a moment listening to Lily's soft even breaths being eclipsed by the clicking of the tubes within the mask. Every breath that he takes adding more muscle to the fight for sleep.

Time passes slowly but, it feels like forever for Bane. The air is cool descending into the room through an open vent above his head. He pulls the covers up to his neck to shield exposed skin. Nights spent in Arkham were like this. The night was the only time when he could think. Every so often he needed one single solitary instance of quiet to get his head together after the chaos died down.

He turns to lie on his left side with his back to the door. Immediately, he is overcome by her scent. It draws him closer and closer to her until there is no space left between them. Sleep begins to creep over to Bane like a serpent inching towards its prey.

His eyelids grow heavy as every muscle in his body relaxes. Lily's foot brushes his calf lightly as she shifts her body attempting to stretch out. She comes to rest again as his arms wrap around her gently resting his face mere inches from her hair.

to be continued...

 


	4. Infatuation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lily takes a stand , but is unprepared for what is to come.

Sympathy Chapter 4

She opens her eyes at half past six with an overwhelming urge to pee. Lily attempts to shift her body into a comfortable place, but is unable to. Bane has his arms wrapped around her holding tight. Every breath that he takes is a warm breeze upon the back of her neck. _Shit._ It takes a bit of effort, but she untangled herself from his embrace which requires unintentional contact with his penis which is against the underside of her thigh. It remains as hard as it was hours before. _The chemical in that mask must also work as some sort of prophylactic_. _Guess he has no problems in that department_ , she says to herself.

Lily crawls on her knees towards the edge of the bed, careful not to come in contact with his legs and feet. She rounds the edge allowing her feet to hang for a bit before coming in contact with the floor. Her feet lightly touch the cold floor as she tiptoes towards the door in the dark. During the mêlée, she was unable to learn anything about the compound other than the importance to stay in this room. Beyond that, she knew where the dining room was, but that was it. Just as she grabs hold of the knob, Lily hears a loud click which does nothing to drown out the sound of tubes clicking.

_Damn it._

"Where are you going in such a hurry?" He is close, but strangely she never heard him rise out of bed. The mattress never made a sound.

"I have to pee," Lily reveals trying not to let the damn break.

"All that you had to do," he replies, "was wake me up."

The ceiling light flickers on, slightly blinding. Bane is standing behind her holding his pistol pointed towards the floor. He reaches over Lily to pound his fist against it and then ushers her back with one hand. The door opens slowly. A taller Middle Eastern man with medium brown skin and gray eyes passes through the doorway holding a handgun with the safety on. He makes eye contact with _him_ at first before briefly glancing at Lily. "Sirah," Bane instructs him, "Lead her to the bathroom, but do not let her out of your sight."

Sirah nods his head slightly then steps back outside into the hallway. Lily follows him out the door, feeling his hand let go of her shoulder. It shuts behind her back. He takes her up the hall to the fourth door on the right. He opens up the door then moves back so that she can enter. Then Sirah closes it behind her. The bathroom is small with dark grey walls. A single toilet porcelain is on the far left with a grey cover over the seat and a matching floor mat. There is a sink to her left as well that shines under the ceiling light. Everything is spotless which comes to no surprise considering how Bane's bedroom looks.

She walks over to the toilet, lifts the seat and reluctantly pulls down her leggings. Lily sits on the toilet and lets the damn loose. It feels amazing finally letting it all out. She pees for a few minutes before a knock at the door startles her. "I," she says, "am still going." Once the streams slows down to a slow drop, she eyes a double post toilet paper holder nearby which looks like something out of Crate and Barrel. It holds the softest toilet paper known to man. Lily wipes herself and discards the papers into the toilet.

Lily stands up to fix her leggings just as Sirah opens the door out of the blue. She puts the seat cover down as the toilet flushes. Then proceeds to wash her hands. Her guardian of the moment watches as she places her soapy hands underneath the lukewarm water flowing from the faucet. A couple of men pass by in opposite directions outside in the hall, but not one stops. Once, she finishes, Sirah leads her back to Bane's room. He closes the door behind her.

Bane watches her with a relaxed brow lying down with the covers over himself. "Come to bed, Lily," he instructs her.

"No," Lily says.

He flexes his right hand feeling the overwhelming urge to strike her. Yet, the feeling passes like rolling thunder. "Why not," he replies lifting himself up on his elbows. Lily crosses her arms over her chest. "I'm tired of," she reveals in frustration, "being stuck in this room." She regrets her words as soon as they leave her lips. Bane sets his jaw only to let out a hard breath. He throws off the covers and immediately stands up. Over to the desk, he walks and proceeds to dress himself.

Lily's ears fill with the pounding of her heart. She watches in silence as he puts on his pants, shirt, vest and boots. Then he opens up the desk drawer to fish out a full magazine to slide in his gun. "Put on your boots, Lily," he replies as he releases one clips to insert another. She walks towards the bed with her stomach in knots. _What is going to do to me?_ Her bare feet slip into the boots marking the first time that Lily has ever worn shoes without socks. God her mother would be blowing a gasket now.

Bane slips the gun into his left back pocket, then walks to the door and opens it. "Come," he says holding the door open with one hand. Lily walks over to the door and enters the hallway. He smiles beneath the mask while walking beside her. She has balls, big brass ones. No one has ever stood up to him like that not since Talia. An ache forms over his heart, he decides to stay quiet fearing that his voice may betray him. Bane leads Lily through the hall, up a flight of stairs to the level above.

He takes her down the hall to a room which three men guard. They all move away from the door, not making any eye contact with Bane. Bane opens the door allowing her to enter first. Lily walks in and immediately notices a flat screen television mounted on the wall. There is a couch and a small table with a remote on it. Once the door closes behind him, they are all alone. "Sit," he replies pointing to the couch. She walks over quickly smoothing herself before sitting. It's a habit that most women of substance or class do. One that manages to peak his interest.

"I understand," he begins," that you are homesick. There are times when I long for the confines of my cell in Arkham. From time to time, I visit. All that you had to do was tell me how you felt."

"How," she immediately responds, "anyone who questions you dies? I don't want to die down here. My family… they miss me. You took me from them…." All of a sudden, the television flicks on. Lily sees her mother sitting at the kitchen table drinking tea. The teabag rests on a napkin with the liquid spreading out like ripples in a pond. Lily's sister Laura is waddling around with her belly protruding. She absently rubs the bump wiping away the tears falling from her eyes. Her brother sits at the table next to their mother reading through the paper while Lily's face is prominently displayed on the front cover. Lily's father is talking on the phone with his eyebrows raised and the crow's-feet deepening at the corners of her eyes.

"How did you," she asks, "How are you."

"I ordered my men to set up cameras," Bane explains, "while your family was on vacation in the Bahamas…. correct? I felt it necessary to see you before I made my move." He watches her staring at the screen for a moment then begins to speak again. "So, you see sweet Lily you have nothing to worry about. Your family is in one piece." She turns to him for a moment as tears crest at the corners of her eyes. Bane turns the volume up so that Lily can hear the conversation.

"What have the police found so far," Lily's father inquires, "we have her pocketbook…we just."

"I don't understand," Lily's brother replies, "how do they not know who took, Lil. Does it take a fucking rocket scientist to do your damn job?"

"They are doing the best they can, Matthew," Lily's mother replies, "I know that they will find her. She couldn't have traveled far.

"Lily," Rose Moss cries rubbing her belly," is not the type to just wander away. The last time she disappeared we found her in Gotham square reading The Baby Sitters club. This city has camera's everywhere I don't understand how not one caught a glimpse of her."

Bane then switches the channel as Lily dries her eyes on her sleeves. He comes upon a news channel which makes her look up at the television again. A female newscaster is discussing the recent robbery at the Gotham stock exchange. A masked man broke in and along with a crew terrorized the employees. Someone was able to describe Bane down to a T judging by the meticulous sketch of his face. Lily's picture appears as well. "Sources believe that the masked man known as Bane has kidnapped Lilian Moss daughter of one of Gotham's most prestigious lawyers. He is holding her captive somewhere in the city. Anyone with any information please contact. He shuts off the television.

Just as he is about to speak there is a knock at the door. He shuts his eyes for a moment trying to stay calm. _Every fucking time…._ "Come in," he calls out. One of the men walks in, tentatively. "Bane," he says, "there is a Selena Kyle asking to speak to you." Bane glances over to Lily letting out a soft breath. "Tell her I will be there momentarily," he replies, "and then come back and sit in here with Lily while I am gone." The young man exits. He wants to say something more to her. Something that will ease her mind and calm her. Instead, he gets up and proceeds to exit the room not turning to look at her.

Bane returns a bit perturbed with having to speak to Ms. Kyle again. Something about her seems is revolting to him, but a deal is a deal. So long as she delivers Batman to him, not only will her slate be wiped clean, but there is a modest sum for her troubles. It goes into her account via one of Daggett's Swedish bank accounts. Bane made it clear that not one dime of his money contributes to that woman's so-called fund. He also dealt with a few issues about the bridges such as having his men disguised as construction workers and not raising any red flags.

He returns to the room to find Lily watching television sitting on the couch with one of Bane's men who sits at the furthest end. She is watching some sort of cartoon. Once the young man takes notice of Bane's presence, he is up and out the door. Once again, they are alone together. "How are you feeling," he asks her. Without turning around, she replies, "I'm alright." He sits down next to her leaving a modicum of space between them.

"I apologize for leaving you so suddenly," he replies, "I had some business to attend to." Lily turn to him and says, "Its fine." An uncomfortable silence passes between them. "Bane", Lily asks, "why do you wear that mask?" _Lily is definitely on a roll today with her boldness._ This is truly the first time that anyone has inquired about his face. During his days in the league of shadows no one had the courage to look him straight in the eye let alone speak to him. Talia knew his secret as did her father, beyond them there were rumors that he refused to oblige. Until now.

"There are scars on my face that did not heal correctly," he began, "the same doctor who repaired by back did the same to my face. His hand was unsteady, but he was the only option I had at the time. Once Talia returned with her father and his army it is too late. Nothing could be done for my face." Lily stares at him for a minute before looking back towards the television. She has nothing more to say to him. Her mind attempts to picture what is face must look like beneath the mask.

She turns her attention back towards the talking sponge and starfish on Sponge Bob. He sits in silence next to her watching the program. The thought of escaping crosses Lily's mind, but again that will incur his wrath. Not to mention that the men will hunt her down and get her before she can reach her front doorstep. All that she can do is stay here, stay quiet and do whatever he tells her to. Absently, Bane reaches over to grab hold of Lily's hand. The feeling of his warm skin against her palm surprises her yet, she remains calm.

Once the program ends, he releases her hand to grab the remote off of the table. Just as the credits begin to roll, Bane shuts off the television. He puts the remote back down and turns toward Lily. _Hopefully, there is no other interruption otherwise, I may not be so accomodating._ He reaches over to run his fingers through her hair. She glances over at him with a questioning look in her eyes which awakens his cock. It stirred slightly as he spoke to Miss Kyle, but not enough to peak his interest in her.

Bane runs his hand across her jaw line as his thumb traces her soft lips. She is unsure how to react to this, but remains still. Slowly, he moves his hand down the left side of her neck, grazing her clavicle as Lily turns her face slightly towards him. As he runs his hand lower, over her shoulder and down her left forearm. His wrist brushes past her nipples which peek through the fabric of her shirt. She gasps slightly at the unexpected contact. He nears her wrist only to veer off towards her left thigh.

She looks down watching his fingers crossing her thigh only to disappear in the space between before moving up over her inner thigh. Bane's hand cups her vulva through the crotch of her leggings. The more his fingertips press the more damp the fabric becomes. As he drifts his middle finger up slightly brushes her clitoris which draws a gasp from her. She opens her legs a little wider, shutting her eyes as he gently lifts up the band of her pants to slip his fingers inside of Lily's panties. Bane pets the velvet smooth patch of hair which adorns her vulva. It is lush and meticulously groomed.

His fingers dance around her labia causing Lily to open her legs wider and turn her face to the left giving him access to her neck. Even though he cannot kiss her neck, instead traces her jugular vein with the ring finger of his left hand. Meanwhile, Bane uses his right hand to part her moist lips. Up and down his fingers move shifting her clitoris in the same direction. She moans as her hips begin to rock her hips. His fingers shift to trace the length of her clitoris.

 _Sweet Lily unraveled by one little touch_. She sinks a little lower against the couch opening her legs further. He watches her biting her lip with a slight smile on her face. She looks calm and relaxed, it is truly the first time that he has seen anyone at peace near relishes this by encircling his middle finger over her clit. It responds as the flesh swells beneath his warm fingertips. Lily gasps as he flicks the top of his finger over the head, opening her eyes to look down at the movement within her leggings.

Further, Bane's fingers wanders lower coming in contact with the moistness flowing from inside of her opening. It drenches both his ring and middle finger. His cock hardens shifting around on its own creating friction that brings forth the release of a small amount of his seed. His fingers continue to encircle her flesh until they reach her opening which draws out another gasp from Lily. This time she turns towards him with her hair in her face. He moves it staring into her brown eyes. _Beautiful._

He gently runs his finger around the rim of her vagina gradually moving deeper and deeper. Lily grazes her lower lip with her teeth slipping her hand within her pants to rub her throbbing clit. Bane sinks the tip of his finger in until it is almost two inches deep. Should his finger drift any further then she will be in pain. Her insides are still tight like a draw string. The virgins that he fucked in his past tore and bled after their first time. They spent many days walking much like a newborn animal taking its first steps. Bane vows that when the time comes and she allows him to enter her, he will take his time to make sure that she is comfortable and ready.

Bane grits his teeth as Lily's walls grip his finger. He starts to pull her leggings along with her panties down over her knees with one hand. She lifts herself up slightly to speed up the process. As she lowers herself down, he begins to massage her walls. Lily continues rubbing her clitoris side to side crying out. During this time, she releases her grip on his finger freeing it. Bane runs it upwards gradually moving her hand out-of-the-way to continue teasing her engorged nub.

A soft flowery scent that wafts from her vulva draws him closer. _If it wasn't for this mask, he could taste her smooth skin and drink in her sweet nectar._ The only way this was possible was to remove the mask which will risk Bane being in excruciating pain. He dabbles with this idea in his mind thinking about how wonderful it will feel to savor her taste.

All of a sudden, he slips his finger back down inside of Lily. He then uses his thumb to rub against her clit. She leans her head back and cries out. Over and over, she calls his name as her body crawls towards the peak of her orgasm. Her hips rocks in a circle as Bane's fingers move. She is like the cumbersome tangle in that length of wire that occupies him from time to time. He needs to unravel everything just to reach it. Her moisture spills all over the palm of his hand soaking it like a rag.

"Oh, shit, Bane.," she cries out.

"Bane."

"Bane."

Bane!

Just like that everything around him fades until he finds himself staring at the static on the television screen. Lily towards him, shaking his arm. He releases her hand, placing the remote on the table and then sits up. "I think you were day dreaming," she says, "again." Bane runs his hands over his face trying to right himself. The rock solid erect keeps him from standing up at first. His mind is a bit fuzzy as the aftermath slows to a crawl. If not for the dark fabric of his pants there would be a visible wet stain around the crotch. Normally, it does not faze him, but at this moment with Lily near Bane feel embarrassed.

"Are you alright," Lily asks him. He nods his head in silence trying to calm himself. She sits back against the couch looking right at him with concern. Though, Bane wants to turn towards her and look, he keeps facing forward. The only other time that he has ever lost his focus was around Talia. Her sudden appearance the night before has thrown him off of his game. She knows this which is why her entrances are always so unexpected.

"Lily," he replies, "tell Sirah to take you to my room. I have some business to attend to."

"Okay," she says then gets up. Lily stretches for a minute then walks around to the back of the couch and exits the room. The door closes behind her and locks. He cannot allow to allow lust to sidetrack him . All of his plans are coming into fruition. Now is not the time to fall for anyone. Who was he kidding though? The moment that he saw Lily, he is intrigued by her.

Her soft, velvety brown hair flows over her shoulder blades. The way her eyes seemed to pierce through him every time they made contact with his. She carries herself with such grace and refinement much like a woman of nobility like Talia. Everything seems to always come back to her. Bane's heart is still mending from the pain of her rejection like he was lower than her especially after all that he did for her. He can never stay mad at her no matter what. Even if she is sleeping with Bruce Wayne and named as his paramour. Their relationship runs deeper than any connection that she has with any man. He is her close friend, her protector and nothing will change that ever.

Bane places his hands on both knees and rises up off the couch. He rolls his neck, stretches then walks to the door. Then he exits walking past two men in the hall without a word. Down the hallway, he moves until, he comes to the edge of the platform. He sees a number of men standing together chatting. Once they notice his attention they scatter like insects. Barsad is on his laptop computer a level down looking at the map of the sewer system underneath the city. Bane takes a step back and walks down a flight of steps to the second level.

There he comes across a young man attempting to load a magazine clip into a handgun. He is unaware of Bane's approach. Not one of the men comes forward to aid the boy who barely looks old enough to shave. Rather than watch the boy, drop the clip a second time or load it incorrectly thereby causing a mercenary to take a bullet, Bane decides to help the boy. He comes up from behind him, circles around to stand in front. The boy feels the shadow over him. He nearly pees his pants as he looks up. Bane takes the gun out of his hands along with the clip then loads it puts on the safety only to hand it back.

"Thank you," the boy replies, "Mr. Bane." By now some men gather awaiting Bane's next move. Usually, the result is another broken neck adding another dead body to a laundry list of dead kids. Instead he backhanded the boy who falls backwards landing on his ass. Bane turns to walk over to his desk and attempt to unravel the last bit of tangled wire. _A flash of Lily with her legs open writhing as he penetrates her with his thick fingers comes to mind._ He shakes it off and gets to work. A visitor is coming soon and there is more work to do.

Someone in the hallway runs past Bane's bedroom door followed by a host of other footsteps. Lily who sits on his bed rises to go investigate. She opens the door slightly and peers through the crack. The men outside of the door abandoned their post. She enters the hall to see them gathered at the edge staring at something. Bane told her to stay in the room, but ignores his request. She walks towards the ground hearing the sounds of shouting and punches. The men give way to allow her to pass.

Lily looks over the side to see Bane climbing down a metal chain next to a foot bridge. Batman is down on the ground. Bane then takes him by the neck then pushes _him_ into a metal pillar which makes a loud clanging sound. Batman breaks free of his grip and begins punching Bane in the face. His hits are doing nothing to him because of the chemical in the mask. There is a woman standing by a metal door watching as it all unfolds dressed in some sort of cat suit. They exchange hits for a few minutes until, Bane turns around and knocks Batman down with some sort of round house punch on his shoulder.

Batman crawls away from Bane up a few steps then turns to face him. He readies himself to strike him with an upper cut punch. However, Bane sinks lower and jab him right in his side. Then he lands another hit on his back followed by a hit on Batman's left side. Just as he is down, Bane kicks him in the chest sending him flying backwards. He lands on his back on some sort of grating. It's hard for Lily to see him as he blends into the darkness below.

Batman unleashes these tiny circular orbs which unleash smoke. He gets up as Bane replies, "Theatricality and deception, power agents to the initiated. He walks forward and descends the staircase. "But we are initiated," he says, "Aren't we Bruce." Batman readies himself for another hit. _Is there any point to even try?_ Bane mentions that they both were members of the League of Shadows which is when Batman moves forward to land a few punches. Bane punches him in the stomach and says, "And you betrayed us?" He holds Batman up by his throat.

"Yes," Batman says struggling to breathe, "You were excommunicated by a gang of psychopaths." Bane then proceeds to continuously punch him in his abdomen as though he is some sort of punching bag. Then he takes him and tosses him to the side. Meanwhile everything around them grows a little darker. Bane calls himself "The League of Shadows. I am here to fulfill Ras al Gul's destiny." He holds his hands open and lifts them up as though he is a king of some sorts.

Batman runs towards Bane and tackles him down. He is able to hit him a few times before being grabbed and then head butted. He knees Batman in his chest and he falls over only to roll on his knees. "You fight like a younger man," Bane taunts as he gets up, "nothing held back. Admirable, but mistaken." He turns around to the side to catch his breath. All of a sudden everything goes pitch dark. Lily feels uneasy as one of the men behind her moves closer giving her very little room to move around.

"Oh," Bane says," you think darkness is your ally. You merely adopted the dark. I was born it molded by it." He begins pacing around as the shadows engulf him. "I didn't see the light," he continues, "Until I was a man by then it was nothing to me, but blinding." Out of the blue Bane grabs holds of someone who Lily realizes is Batman. He is holding his neck again, because she can hear him panting. Just as she is about to lose her footing someone grabs her around the waist. She is about to scream until they whisper their name in her ear. Remy. Then Lily relaxes allowing him to pull her backwards. He takes her through the crowd of men to a space a few pillars to the left. There they stand together.

Lily watches as the shadow fades and Bane is holding Batman. "The shadows betray you," he says, "because they belong to me." He throws batman down against some sort of pit where the water from the water fall collects. He proceeds to punch Batman in the face a half-dozen times. Then he walks away from him. " I will show you," Bane says, " where I have made my home whilst preparing to bring justice." Batman turns to look up towards the ceiling. Remy pulls Lily back so that she is hidden by the shadow.

Bane pulls something out of his pocket. He passes it from his left hand to his right. "Then I will break you," he presses a button. Lily hears a rumble as some sort of explosive goes off. The ceiling gives way raining plaster and rocks down to the bottom. Some sort of tank falls down landing less than a hundred feet away from them. A group of men begin climbing up to the top of this liar. "Your precious armory," Bane replies, "gratefully accepted. We will need it."

The only people left are Lily, Remy, Sirah and a couple dozen other armed soldiers who stand staring down below at Bane's new revelation. Batman lifts himself up as much as he can. Bane turns to see him. "Ah yes," he says, "I was wondering what would break first." He anticipates Batman's next move and goes in for an uppercut punch. He grunts in pain. Then Bane punches him right in the head. This brings Batman down for good.

Bane walks over to Batman who still struggles to stand. "Your spirit," he says. Then he grabs hold of Batman lifting him up over his head as though he weights nothing. "He holds him over his head for all the men to see. "or your body. Lily finches as Bane lifts Batman up over his head. Then he drops him down on his knee breaking the dark knights back. The men move closer to the edge peering down at Bane as he removes the mask from Batman's face revealing his true identity. Bane holds the mask for a few seconds before dropping it on the ground. Two emerge from the shadows to carefully lift Batman up and drag him into the shadows. _He's dead. Bane killed him._

Lily wiggles out of Remy's grip only to her path blocked by a half-dozen men. She hears footsteps as Bane ascends a nearby flight of steps. "Did you enjoy the show," he replies, "Lily?" When she does not answer, he immediately replies, "Today is the day that you insist upon trying my patience as well as my hospitality." Two men to left move backwards in opposite directions to give him space. He walks forward gripping the straps of his armored vest. "I instructed you to stay," he replies, "in my room." As she is about to speak, he places his finger over her lips.

"Who did I post outside my bedroom door," Bane says. Out of the shadows a young man walks forward. "I was Bane," he says, "but I…" He is unable to finish his sentence as Bane snaps his neck with little effort. One hand on his face and turn. Two men grab hold of the body pulling it out-of-the-way into the shadows. "Anyone else," he says. No other mercenary comes forward.

"It was my fault," he says to Remy who stands to Lily's left side staring him straight in the eye, "that I removed you as her detail. Barsad needed your help his project. Now, I need you to watch her along with Sirah. You are to follow Lily everywhere she goes." The men nod in agreement as Sirah walks over to stand by Lily. "As you for Lily," Bane says turning to face her, "I have to travel to Arkham to deposit Mr. Wayne into his new living quarters. I want you to go with me along with your new guardians. I was privy to your lifestyle, your parentage and privilege. Now it is time for you to see the where I am from."

To Be Continued.....


	5. Over there

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lily traveled with Bane overseas. She goes with him and his men down to the pit where Bane lived. They share a moment alone.

Sympathy Chapter 5

“Well, then,” Bane commands, “fix it. I do not have time for excuses…IF I have to come down there.” 

The voice on the other end apologizes repeatedly assuring Bane that he will rectify the situation. The phone call ends abruptly with yet another smartphone in pieces scattered on the floor like tiny plastic black and silver ants. A swift pull of the tube as a dose of venom rushes like a wave into him. His lids lower as the chemical seeps through his system. The twitch of his cock as it hardens against the skin of his thigh melding against the fabric leaving a small damp stain. 

Lily is in the room with him. The last time that he glanced at her she was staring out of the window with her hair gathered carefully into a fishtail braid just like Talia wore. A dark grey raglan tipped slightly off her left shoulder which hangs down to her thighs covering the black tank top underneath. A pair of black leggings that she fills out nicely blends with the boots on her feet. The same boots that she wore the first time that he saw her. She refused every offer of shoes or slippers that were lightweight and pretty. He made everyone else leave the room and just as Bane was about to speak to her. Before he could coax her, the phone rang.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spies Lily staring at him from the reflection in the window. He crosses the room to stand at her side. “Where are we,” she inquires. “Somewhere far away from Gotham,” he informs her, “a place that I was not able to see until, I freed myself from the darkness. The first time I suffered a sunburn was walking through the desert towards this market.” 

“This is why I had the servants fetch you,” he continues, “The clothing made of the finest silks that I wanted you to wear. However, once again Lily you have tried my patience.” “I am fine,” she explains, “in these clothes.” He licks his raw scabbed lips beneath the mask. “Yes, you are. However, I cannot tolerate you questioning me in front of my men. I warned you before about what would happen the next time that you refused my hospitality…”

“I don’t wear any of that stuff,” she explains,” My sister would love them, but…” He reaches over placing one hand on the small of her back. “The only reason why I wanted you to change your clothes is because we spent a very long time on that airplane.” She slept most of the journey in his arms breathing softly with her head on his shoulder. “Honestly, I thought that you would like to blend in with the locals. Isn’t that what you did at your job?” Lily glances over at him then looks away. “I wanted you to accompany me to visit Mr. Wayne. My men and I put him down in a place where I grew up. A place where I became a man. Arkham.”

Lily shifts her weight onto her left foot staring into the cell in front of her as Bane sits with Bruce Wayne. She coughs slightly as a small amount of dust enters her lungs. A rancid stench fills her nose, a mix of rancid feces and rotten meat. She breathes through her mouth trying not to gage. There is an older man sitting inside of the cell watching in silence. He made eye contact with her one time before looking away. 

She stands in the light just a few feet away from the wall that they scaled down in between Esau, Remy and a third man named Gael. They are guarding her from what Remy called the monsters. Some of which are the men that attacked Bane when he helped Talia escape. She senses that they are close standing almost at the edge of shadows watching her waiting for the moment to strike. The only thing is that not one man takes a step forward to engage Bane or his men. 

The older man present in the cell is the reason why Bane has to wear a mask. He called himself healing him, but only seemed to make matters worse. The mask obscures some of those scars the rest are hidden beneath his vest and clothing. A glimpse of the one over his spine is what comes to mind as well as the memory of him standing stark naked as though nothing is wrong. Not one of his men has seen the damage in person and lived to tell about it. No one was foolish enough to try to remove the mask from his face either. He is far, too swift and skilled for anyone to engage him in a fight. 

Bane emerges from the cell as two of his men shut the door behind him. He makes eye contact with Lily, then walks over towards her. “While Mr. Wayne rests,” he replies, “it time for us to take our leave. I am sure that you are famished at the moment. The thought of food makes her stomach turn. Just as he closes the gap between them one man rushes out of the shadows from the right side brandishing a knife. He bears his broken brown teeth growling curving his scarred fingers over the knife handle. The words that he screams are in a familiar tongue that Bane recognizes immediately. 

Before, the crazed man can take another step towards Bane bullets rip through his body as Bane fires his gun. Small streams of crimson spray out of each hole as one by one bullets rips through the man’s body. It turns every which way before slamming lifeless to the ground. Remy grabs Lily’s arm leading her toward the wall. Meanwhile, Bane is flanked by two other men whose names she does not know. The last thing that she remembers is being strapped into a harness and rising upwards towards the bright light. Everything after that is black. 

She awakens lying on her back in the middle of a canopy bed wrapped in a blanket. Outside, the sun is setting as cool air blows on her face. “I apologize for frightening you,” says a voice nearby. “It was not my intent to bring you into that situation without slight hesitation. You were safe, though. That man had his eye on me.”

“How did I get in here,” she asks, “did I pass out?”

“Yes,” the voice reveals as the mattress shifts beneath her. Lily turns to the right lifting herself up onto her elbows. . Bane is sitting on the bed looking down at her. “I carried you back here once we made it back to the surface. The men tried to advise me against carrying you, but I decided that since this situation was my fault that I would make sure that you were safe.”

“You spent your childhood down there,” she questions him.

He nods his head once. “It was a childhood of fear and learning. There was no time for innocence. What little that possessed was stolen from me long before I could understand.” 

“It is the reason why,” he explains, “I gravitated towards young Talia. She grew like I did in the darkness accept for the fact that she had me to protect her. As I child I had no one. There were things that I had to do just to survive that most children with an upbringing like yours could never even fathom.” It was true that Lily had a normal childhood or at least one that was normal for the daughter of one of Gotham’s best attorneys. There was never a moment when she had to worry about money or beg her parents for what she wanted. Her family was one of the elite in Gotham, a part of the upper echelon. Before, he took her, Lily was saving up to leave.

“So that is why you took me,” she inquires sitting up higher. 

“I wanted you to see the other side of life in Gotham,” he answers, “the one filled with people whose back people like you stand upon. Those who do not have the privilege or connections. People who have to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps to survive.”

“So, you think that I am nothing, but a spoiled brat.”  
“I believe that you were sheltered from life. Your means of rebellion is to slum with the masses like many other children of means.  
Eventually, you will fall in line marrying a man who was also born with a silver spoon tucked between his lips.” 

“How dare you,” Lily replies hugging her knees, “that is not me...”

“You are in denial, Lily,” Bane moves closer obscuring her view of the window. “That is what intrigues me about you. Your parents did a remarkable job of raising you. You are nothing like your siblings particularly your sister Laura. It is amazing how she has only held her husband’s name for three months yet, her belly protrudes much like a woman who is eight or nine months pregnant. I assume that her secret caused a bit of scandal in your social circles.”

It definitely did. Their mother tried her best to downplay the rumors, but it was true. Laura was pregnant and to make matters worse, she has no clue who the father is. Her husband is none the wiser. Lily took the news better than everyone else. The idea of living in the shadow of Laura Moss got old fast. Once, she tarnished her halo, the pressure lessoned on Lily a little bit. All of a sudden, her few mistakes were not as big as they once were. Nobody cared that she was caught drinking down at Fish Mooney’s old bar. The one that Penguin took over briefly.

“It did for a little while,” Lily responded,” then everyone started to focus on Paisley Hark. She came back from France with a little more than just a stamp on her passport. I guess Chanel doesn’t look as good paired with the clap.” She shrugs her shoulder then laughs a little bit. “Tell me the real reason why you are still are a virgin,” he asks, “besides the ones that you already explained to me” 

“Other than the fact that my sister got knocked up,” Lily says, “I am afraid of what will happen once it is all over.”

“You fear what your partner will think,” Bane adds, “once he has a chance to engage in intercourse.”

“No,” she blurts, “I am afraid of what I will think once it is done.”  
“As in,” he replies, “you will wake up in the morning and regret your actions.” 

She nods not breaking eye contact from him. “If,” he continues, “by any chance you were to find a suitable partner would you still feel the same way?”

“I’m not sure,” Lily reveals, “I haven’t thought about that. I just try to avoid every situation that leads down that road.” Her last boyfriend gave up and stopped trying to contact her. He was tired of the wait. Why waste your time with a frigid bitch when there are plenty of women willing and eager. Even though she didn’t blame him for his decision that did not make her feel any better. Less than a week later, there he was hugged up with a new woman sitting on the beach in Saint Barts. Her mother was no help at all. She made the situation worse by telling her how impractical it was to expect a man to wait. That was the night that they had the big fight, four days before she was taken.

Tears crest in her eyes as she breaks eye contact looking down at the blanket. Bane places his hand gently underneath her chin to lift it up. “You are a truly remarkable flower,” he replies, “Lily Moss. Those foolish men that walked away from you have no idea the treasure that they abandoned.” One lone tear falls down her cheek which is wiped away by his thumb. “Clearly,” he explains releasing her chin, “you desire a connection with another that extends beyond the bedroom.” 

“I have come across many women when I escaped Arkham. Some of the women offered themselves to me willingly. The others scoffed at my scars calling me a monster and such. I fell in love with a woman that had no interest in me.” He pauses to gather himself taking a moment to just breathe. Lily caught the waver in his voice as it trailed off. The women that he spoke of was Talia. It was clear after that encounter that they had in his room. His demeanor softened as did his rigid posture which relaxed. The register of his voice sounded normal (as normal as it could with the mask on). 

“That is a mistake,” he replies, “that I will carry with me for the rest of my days. There are moments when I think about what life would be like if I had been as careful with my heart as you are with yours.” He reaches over taking Lily’s hand in his. It is warm to the touch even through the leather glove. The wall around him lowers slightly as he rubs his thumb against her skin. For a brief moment, he breaks eye contact to stare at the floor. 

If she had not witnessed his brutality, then this would be endearing. However, this display does not fool Lily. Nevertheless, she plays along placing another hand on top of his. “Was it Talia,” she asks. He does not answer looking up to gaze out of the window at the midnight blue sky sprinkled with stars that resemble tiny diamonds. He opens his mouth to speak when there is a knock at the door. “Enter,” he replies moving his hands away from hers. The door opens slowly as Gael walks in with an envelope his hand. Bane leans forward lifting himself up with his knees. He walks over to Gael who hands him the message that he promptly opens and reads in silence. 

Once he finishes, he says a few words in a language that sounds similar to Arabic. Gael answers back then disappears back into the hallway as the door shuts behind him. Something in the air has changed. Lily tries not to make any sudden moves that will draw his attention. He flexes his gloved hand still staring at the door. The large tube in the back of the masks pulsates releasing another dose of venom into his system. It does so without warning as his body jerks slightly forward. His eyes roll back into his head as the chemical seeps into his system.

She averts her eyes away noticing the protruding bulge in his pants that he squeezes unbothered by the fact that she is witnessing this. Bane is a very large man who is stronger than anyone that Lily has ever met. His penis is bigger than anything that he has ever seen. As much as she tried not to look at it, there was a moment when she glanced at it just for a moment. Right now, he is on cloud nine if only for a minute or so. Once he comes down there is no telling how he will feel or react. The door is just a few feet away, all that she has to do is slip out of the bed slowly then tip toe. 

There is the issue of the guards at the door, but then all that she has to tell them is that she needs to use the rest room. They will escort her without question then she can climb out of the window and run. Before, she can make any moves, he turns towards her still standing at the foot of the canopy. He is framed by the large wooden posts and soft white drapes. “We will have to return to Gotham tomorrow afternoon so that I can prepare for my next move,” he says, “All of the pieces are in place at the moment, but I still have to get in contact with my liaison. It is a shame that you were unable to explore this beautiful city.” 

“Your parents are offering a reward for your safe return,” he tells Lily,” 250,000 if I remember correctly. You are worth far more than that.” He begins to walk back over to the left side of the bed where Lily is sitting. She moves backwards slowly into the pillows that cushion her back against the wooden headboard. “The least thing that they could have done was offered 500,000.”

“My father,” she says, “is only worth 10 million dollars.”

“He is worth five times that amount, Lily,” he replies, “after the Dent act was passed wealthy men were throwing money his way. He was about to pair you up with one of his donors. Does a mister Jonathan Loft ring a bell?” That was one of her father’s closest friends who was almost forty years old. His breath always smelled like caviar. Every single time that he saw Lily , he had a raging hard on. Gross. Jonathan made some of his wealth in offshore investments in oil and coal. His golden calf was a loan to a certain social media wunderkind on the verge of something groundbreaking. Needless to say that if she married him then her families star would rise exponentially in Gotham’s elite social circles. Her mother would be overjoyed all the while Lily would be stuck with Jonathan and his clammy hands. 

“I can’t stand him,” she remarks. 

“He is the main person that made your father the man that he is today. Without him, your father would still be working down at city hall pushing papers around trying to figure out why the criminal element seems to be growing stronger and stronger.”

“Where did you hear this?”

“I have my sources,” he explains, “some that are a part of your social circles. Needless to say, Lily that I am not about to give you back to them. I am enjoying your presence. Plus, you are important to this mission.”  
“How,” she inquires.

“I need a young pretty face to remind my men,” he says,” why this mission is so important. Plus, I have grown tired of looking at the wrinkles on Dr. Pavel’s face.” 

Lily wakes up in the middle of the night lying on her side facing the window. Bane rests beside her on his back. His soft snores sound like the hum of a machine. The sky is still dark blue shinning a shadow onto the floor. She lifts herself up on her arm slowly trying not to shift the mattress and wake him up. Her bare feet touch the floor softly. When she is home and it is late there is always something on TV to watch that will make her sleepy. Something brushes her back and she turns to see Bane looking at her. She looks out of the window dreading the fact that she forgot that he is a light sleeper. 

“Every time that I am here,” he says, “I tend to stay up later than I should to look at the night sky. It is something that I treasure. There is only so much darkness that one can endure before they lose their sense of humanity.” The mattress shifts slightly as her moves himself closer to her. “I embrace the darkness. It is all that I have known my entire life.” The image of Bane as a small child walking in the darkness down in the cavern surrounded by those men. He wasn’t always as strong as he was now. At some point, he was a victim of the men that looked upon him licking their lips imaging all of the dark things that they could do to him. 

“It was all that I could do to survive to be honest,” he replies, “if not then I would have turned into a monster just like those men.” Would have? He is a monster, killing anyone who questions him. He kidnaps a woman that was minding her own business to prove a point. Bane broke Bruce Wayne’s back then shipped him to his country to live in the hole with men that damn near killed Bane and tried to do it again. “Lie down,” he instructs her gently rubbing the small of her back. She does not tense up this time which is strange nor does she flinch. 

Lily lies down on her side lifting her legs slowly as he moves the sheet to cover her legs. “Bane,” she says, “how did you have sex with those women? With the mask, I mean.” He pauses then says, “I think that you mean how I satisfied them? There are other ways to do so that do not require the use of the tongue. Some of the women were turned on by the mask. I have never had any verbal complaints regarding my sexual prowess. One woman did not believe that I could.... I proved her wrong a few times that night.”

Immediately, Lily regrets her question as he moves closer beneath the sheet, warming her neck with his breath. Once he settles the only thing that he does wrap his arm around her waist. For a minute, she fears his next move however, Bane does not come across as the type to make a move without permission. He settles against her trying not to press his hard penis against the curve of her behind. She can still feel it though but does nothing to move away. It is so thick that it feels like a boney arm. The idea of having that inside of her crosses her mind as her eyelids lower, she banishes the thought drifting into a deep sleep. 

She awakens feeling someone pulling her leggings down over her thighs. “What the hell are you doing,” she says lifting herself up to face this person that turns out to be Bane. He is on his knees at the foot of the bed discarding the pants onto the floor. “I am going to show you just how,” he says grabbing her ankles, “I pleased those women.” Her knees are bent as he carefully parts them with one hand to get a good look at her. “I can see that you are very curious.” Lily looks down at her vulva slightly obscured by its dark hair moist hair. Her clitoris is swollen and pink peeking out slightly.

He goes in without a second thought with both hands cupping her sex. She gasps feeling him part her lips with both of his thumbs. “Just relax,” he replies, “and lie back.” Lily lowers her head back staring at the ceiling of the canopy as he begins to trace his calloused fingertips over her inner lips. First making circles over the skin before swirling around leaving wet patterns. Her pulse races as he continues circling around purposely avoiding her clit. She moans softly, squirming around beneath his fingers. “That’s it,” he replies, “let it out.” 

Lily digs her fingers into the sheets as her back arches. He inches more towards her clitoris as she tries to guide him with her hips rocking back and forth. Rather than head directly to it he starts at the crevice that leads down the length encircling it with a slow small motion. “Bane,” she replies, “Oh fuck.” The corners of his eyes crinkle as though beneath the mask, there is a smile on his face. He releases his left hand to venture lower and lower until it reaches the opening of her vagina. “Now I know,” he mentions, “why you smell so sweet.” If this was any other time, she would clinch up and pull away but this time she gives in. Bane takes this opportunity to slowly dip his thick finger inside of her. He makes sure not to force it and tear her delicate walls. Instead, he is patient allowing her to open petal by petal.

Meanwhile, he rubs the length of her clit a little more. She cries out filling the room with her cries. Bane’s finger swirls as in moves within her in sync with the movement over her clit. Her eyes open one time before rolling back into her head. The thrust of his finger rubbing against her humid walls. Lily tries to what little control that she possesses. The release inches closer and closer until it reaches it hilt. All of a sudden, the damn breaks. She cries out his names as pleasure rushes over her like a wave crashing against rocks. The clench of her muscles around his finger is nothing to him as a rush of cum seeps out of her staining the sheets. Once, her muscles relax, he carefully removes his finger.

“Omg god,” she mouths, “that was so...”

She awakens with her head against his chest. “What happened,” she whispers lifting herself up. “You were talking in your sleep. I did not understand what you were saying though.”


End file.
